Random times you've bumped into players

[SomethingAboutObua]

Scott Brown winked at me in Cramond when I was about 14, didnt recognise who he was at first and was more curious who the skinhead looking guy in a full black tracksuit in Cramond was. Only realised it was him when I remembered someone told me he had a labrador (was walking ahead of him) and lived in Cramond. 

 

Chris McLaughlin off BBC Scotland came in to the shop I used to work In asking if we sold mens XS shirts, said we sold smalls in slim fit as our smallest but he sort of cut me off and said it had to be XS and left. He's small but he must like his clothes very tight if our slim fit smalls were "far too big" for him. Souttar also used to come in, couple of rugby players and Scott Browns wife picked up his orders for him too. 

 

Not a footballer but answered a call from Andy Hallidays granda at my last job, got talking about football and he now supports Livingston instead of Rangers, been a season ticket holder since Halliday left them. Said Halliday had said its Hearts or no one when we and a couple of teams approached him and was really excited/over the moon when the deal went through to sign for us. 

[Boof]

Willie Johnston on the 11am-ish train heading north from Haymarket on a Friday morning.

 

17 December 1982 rings a bell...

 

I had a case of export - didn't offer him one as I thought we'd have a game the next day.

[August Landmesser]

1. Rudi's dog sniffed my dog's arse outside the Scottish Parliament in 2015.

 

2. Saw Juanma at Portobello beach, towards the end of his time with us, couldn't think of anything to say so just smiled weakly, waved and said 'Gracias'. TBF he gave a thumbs up.

 

3. Saw Jamie Walker and his pug in Pilrig Park, was sure it wasn't him as he was wearing all his Hearts training gear so I thought it was just a full kit lookalike! Found out later his gf lived in Trinity and had a pug.

Edited April 12, 2021 by August Landmesser

[JWL]

56 minutes ago, Morgan said:

I’ll tell you who was a royal pain in the ass.  

 

Norman Whiteside.  

 

Edinburgh Airport.

 

That's more like it. Footballers who were c**ts is a heck of a lot better than this love in. Don Murray told my mate to feck off once after being asked for an autograph. I didn't bother after that. We were both around 13/14 at the time so he's a footballing ****.

Edited April 12, 2021 by JWL

[McGlynn The Money]

55 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Bar Italia was at the top of Lothian Road, just down from the old ABC.

 

Bar Roma was in the wee street where Indigo Yard is.

 

Bar Italia is still there.

[heartsfc_fan]

Bumped into a few players over the years in bars and nightclubs.

Berra when he was playing at Wolves was standing at the bar (can't remember which) in George Street. Was happy to chat and polite enough.

 

Jamie Mole 🤣 a couple of times in Cav. Once he was sound enough. Next time a complete ****

 

Christian Nade during the festival near Potterrow in 2012 (I think) nice chap, happy to talk about football

 

Garry O'Connor and Scott Brown years ago in a bar 🤦‍♂️
 actually where fine for a quick chat. Didn't mention I was a Hearts fan.

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by heartsfc_fan
.

[Rogue Daddy]

1 hour ago, Morgan said:

Many, many pints with Robbo and Big Slim, over a four year (roughly) period..

 

We had a meal and drinks with Gazza. He paid the bill, pretty sure he wouldn’t remember doing so, though.   That was fun!  😳🍻

 

Met Jurgen Klinsmann, he was extremely shy.

 

Shared a table in a restaurant with George Wright after the 1996 LC Final.

 

Had a few beers with Pasquale Bruno.

 

 

I met Pasquale Bruno with Pierre Van Hooydonk in Indigo Yard. Went over to say hello and Bruno immediately shook my hand and started blethering away, they were both brand new! As I was about to leave I told Pierre not to leave Scottish football (For Notts Forrest) and he put his arm around me and whispered in my ear that he was signing for Hearts! Lieing b**tard! 😂😂😂 

[Jambo92]

Funny timing for a thread, bumped into our star striker last week, don't want to take credit for the hat trick but our exchange of hello definitely had an impact.

[Deodato]

Arsenal's classic utility midfielder Gilles Grimandi in a Car Phone Warehouse, beat that. 

 

Pre-iPhone era too for extra rep. 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Deodato

[Deodato]

Salvatori in McDonalds, East End 

 

Let him go ahead of me in the queue. 

[Deodato]

Robert Pires on Parliament Hill, watching his laddie play football (badly). 

[weegie jambo]

Only Hearts player I have bumped into outside of a ground was Stephane Mahe. he was getting some work done by an artist friend of mine for his "gentleman's club" in Glasgow and they were having a business meeting in the cafe in my recording studio. Top bloke and was very passionate about us. I think we had just drawn at home to St Johnstone at the weekend and he was p***** off with his performance.

Inside grounds met big Giles at the pie stall at Tannadice and was fortunate to get hospitality for the 2012 Final. Sat behind JJ and Garry Mackay handed me the team sheet!

In the 70's I would regularly see the Rangers squad in a music shop I worked in as they had lunch in a salad bar across the road. Sold Gordon Smith about 3 or 4 guitars!

Neil Lennon was a regular in my local, seemed like an OK bloke outside of football!

[Deodato]

Arrigo Sacchi at the Real Atletico Madrid derby Champions League final, enjoying a bowl of pasta and meeting football fans from around the world. A true gent.

 

Actually, come to think of it, he could do a job for us. 

[Deodato]

Gilles 'the cat' Rousset at Homebase Blackhall in 1996, he was buying lighting gear and also some taps.

 

 

[Rogue Daddy]

Alan Brazil with Mike Parry (from Talksport) were in Thomson’s on Morrison Street. They were coving the British Open at Muirfield and happy to chat away.... Alan Brazil even bought the 4 of us a round of beers! Good guys 👍

[Deodato]

Charlie George at De Martinos, the best Italian in London. 

 

Yes, we all lay down with our arms held up. Had to. 

 

[Rocky jamboa]

1 hour ago, Morgan said:

Salvatori was often in Indigo with Stephane and Gilles, too.

I met Neil Pointon in there after we'd drawn or got beat at dunfermline. I said casually "hi Neil. Disappointing (no pun intended!) Result today", expecting him not to say much else but he went on a big rant about the same players letting us down every week and said "you know who I mean?". I said "Paul Ritchie?" He goes "no. Not the young lads" and started reeling off a few more senior players. Can't remember who he said now. Was quite funny. Wish we had guys with that passion now! 

[Deodato]

George Burley in Gran Cru on Hannover Street at 1.15am 

 

Before the Falkirk 2-2 game which started at 12.30pm

 

Do the maths. 

[Juho_Makela_Goal_Machine]

Saw Kev McHattie in a McDonalds in Glenrothes

[tedarmy]

stuart pearce at rebellion music festival a couple of times. he`s a big punk fan

[Rogue Daddy]

7 minutes ago, Paulp74 said:

I met Neil Pointon in there after we'd drawn or got beat at dunfermline. I said casually "hi Neil. Disappointing (no pun intended!) Result today", expecting him not to say much else but he went on a big rant about the same players letting us down every week and said "you know who I mean?". I said "Paul Ritchie?" He goes "no. Not the young lads" and started reeling off a few more senior players. Can't remember who he said now. Was quite funny. Wish we had guys with that passion now! 

He was a class player! I met him once in Robbos bar... funny guy... he was half-cut! 😂😂😂

[Deodato]

4 minutes ago, Juho_Makela_Goal_Machine said:

Saw Kev McHattie in a McDonalds in Glenrothes

 

That is box office. 

[weegie jambo]

Sold my old Vauxhall Zafira to Arnold Clarkes in Kirkcaldy. The salesman was Stevie Kirk ex Motherwell, chatted away for ages about football, think he would have talked all day given a chance!

Met Martin O'Neill outside my flat in the West End, he was parking his Merc and going for dinner at a local restaurant. Celtic had just gubbed us 5-0 but I didn't know the score having switched off the radio at 2-0 and gone out hillwalking instead. Asked him the final score and when he saw my reaction he was happy to talk about Hearts and discuss our European form ( we had just drawn with Bordeaux), he would have chatted for ages had his wife not told him they were late for their reservation. Very pleasant and polite guy.

[j1964m]

Was out with the wife and my new born daughter up by the castle in 1988. Ian Jardine and his wife came up to us and ask to see my new born and she put some coins in the daughters pram and said that’s for your child 

[jamboozy]

7 hours ago, King prawn said:

 he was half my size which was surprising - small man syndrome methinks 😏

[Kiwidoug]

Outside that hotel on the corner of Lothian road and Princes St I saw Moore, Peters and Hurst.  They had been playing Dunfermline the night before in a pre season friendly.

 

Just nodded to them and they said hello.  Not too exciting.

[Finlay James]

I met Scott Severin in Ikea in Milton Keynes, he was with his heavily pregnant wife.  He was playing for Watford at the time.  Cracking bloke, he would have chatted about Hearts all day given half a chance.  We had just signed Kevin Kyle and Severin went on a bit of a rant as he really didn't like I'd rate him.

 

A guy that used to work for me lived next door to Jack Collison (ex west ham) and when Jack was injured, my mate used to fetch his shopping etc.  I went round with him a few times and go to know Jack pretty well.

[Shanks said no]

Paul Ritchie in a late night bar in Manchester Centre when he was with City, he was with some very dodgy geezers.

 

Jim Duffy on a train going South, he borrowed my copy of Viz and was happy to chat football. 
 

lots of players in pubs, clubs and as neighbours over the years. 

[Finlay James]

I was a neighbour of the ex hibs goalie, Nick Colgan.

 

lovely bloke who was good mates with Niemi.  He also had a very tasty wife.

[Zen Jambo]

Not a player , but...

 

I literally bumped into an extremely beautiful Spanish speaking lady, outside the main stand before our 4-1 win over ICT in 2006(?). 
 

The person I was with tried to convince me it was Pinilla’s other half. 
 

I have no way of verifying this. But for that afternoon I wanted to believe. 
 

I’m still non the wiser if it was or not.  

[Jamstomorrow]

Before the current lock-down, I was in a socially distanced queue in front of Jamie Walker at Costa, Straiton.   He appeared to be with his wife and child.   He was in his training gear on this occasion too . . .  does he ever take it off?  Lol.

 

As a laddie, I had a pre-school milk round and used to deliver Eddie Thomson's milk.

 

 

[Mister T]

7 hours ago, Deodato said:

Gilles 'the cat' Rousset at Homebase Blackhall in 1996, he was buying lighting gear and also some taps.

 

 

Always interesting to know what they buy when they're not in the pub or bookies.

 

I saw Antti Niemi in Sainsburys at Meadowbank. He was at the tills and had to run back and pick up a tin of peaches.

 

And Lee Wallace doing a basket shop in Asda at Chesser. He had some crap in it too. Kia ora, findus crispy pancakes, curly fries and wotsits. I remember saying to Mrs T that JJ would go mental if he saw what he had. Of course he could have been buying for a friend..... 

 

When I worked in Jenners, Graeme Souness buying ties out the Hugo Boss concession in that used to be at the Rose Street entrance (now a coffee bar). It was one of the few times the hibs casuals hadn't panned in the window to pinch the latest trendy gear.

 

I also served Glasgow hard man Jimmy Boyle a couple of times. He was polite. Probably because I never made eye contact. 

[Deodato]

19 minutes ago, Mister T said:

And Lee Wallace doing a basket shop in Asda at Chesser. He had some crap in it too. Kia ora, findus crispy pancakes, curly fries and wotsits. I remember saying to Mrs T that JJ would go mental if he saw what he had. Of course he could have been buying for a friend..... 

 

Correct, under the Scottish legal system this would result in a unproven verdict. 

[Deodato]

8 hours ago, weegie jambo said:

Sold my old Vauxhall Zafira to Arnold Clarkes in Kirkcaldy. The salesman was Stevie Kirk ex Motherwell, chatted away for ages about football, think he would have talked all day given a chance!

Met Martin O'Neill outside my flat in the West End, he was parking his Merc and going for dinner at a local restaurant. Celtic had just gubbed us 5-0 but I didn't know the score having switched off the radio at 2-0 and gone out hillwalking instead. Asked him the final score and when he saw my reaction he was happy to talk about Hearts and discuss our European form ( we had just drawn with Bordeaux), he would have chatted for ages had his wife not told him they were late for their reservation. Very pleasant and polite guy.

 

Martin O'Neil - off all the players listed on the thread, I'd love to meet him most. Simply to ask about his time playing for Brian Clough at Notts Forrest. If you haven't seen I Believe In Miracles (the greatest sports documentary of all time ever ever ever) you need to - he was one of a very fortunate select group of players who got to lift the European Cup twice. Two seasons earlier, they were suffering in the second division. Half the team were Scots too!

 

 

 

[TyphoonJambo]

Jim Cruikshank asked me to find out who'd won the 4-15 at Kempton, then turned round and saved a penalty.

Edited April 13, 2021 by TypoonJambo

[Harry Potter]

Palma nova/Magaluf, 1988, end of may bumped in to Wayne foster, neil berry and i think robbo was there.

[Deodato]

4 minutes ago, TypoonJambo said:

Jim Cruikshank asked me to find out who'd won the 4-15 at Kempton, then turned round and saved a penalty.

 

Classy. 

[Carl Fredrickson]

1980 I was on holiday at Whitley Bay and was getting a tour of Roker Park, Sunderlands old ground. Went to the club shop after the tour and met Jim Montgomery. I was too starry eyed to say much but my parents chatted away to him. 

 

Early/mid 90s I was on holiday in Devon and popped into the Plymouth club shop and met Peter Shilton who was their manager at the time. Chatted away and seemed a nice guy. No other tales of keepers in club shops. 

 

At the Dominion cinema I was waiting in the foyer as a friend was in the toilets and Michael Stewart was hanging about waiting on his lady friend. He had on a VERY white tracksuit. 

 

Gary Locke is a regular at my local Tescos at about 4pm on Fridays. I think he is stalking me....

[TyphoonJambo]

11 minutes ago, Deodato said:

 

Classy. 

The man oozed it. He always chatted between the action and there was usually someone with a transistor radio for racing results behind the goal.

[Harry Potter]

Had a couple of pints with Willie Johnston in the maybury, great guy and down to earth, met Wayne Foster in mad dogs up town, made a change from the Harp (Blazers) where he drank with neil berry, robbo was in one night as well.

 

[communist]

Osman Sow, met him the day after he scored the winner at ibrox, he was coming into the cinema late at night in Livingston  with his Mrs as we were leaving. 
 

my voice was still raw from being at the match the previous day (what an atmosphere that was). As I said it was late and there were very few people around. My eyes lit up when I saw him, his Mrs seen that I’d noticed him smiled and nudged him as I approached, she seemed genuinely happy for him and they were happy to talk for a couple of minutes, I thanked him, shook his hand and blamed him for my lack of voice. Nice couple.
 

 

[Bazzas right boot]

Jamie Walker at the Royal Infirmary in the M&S. 

 

Never engaged him , but I gave him the eye,he gave me the acknowledgement back, he Kent that I kent that he kent and a simple "awright" was exchanged as he bought a sandwich. 

Not awkward at all. 

I think it was when his wife was giving birth, found out on here about that the day later. 

 

 

John Hughes and kane after we beat them 4-0 in 2006.

Really good laugh and Hughes bought me a pint. 

Was arguing with Kane about how shit hibs were 😂. 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Smith's right boot

[Batistuta87]

Met John Terry in Malaga. He's an absolute unit and has a massive heed. 

 

My wife shared a maternity ward with Ian Murray's Mrs when we had our first kid in 2012. He was Dumbarton manager at the time and even in that situation, was a prick. 

 

I managed Sole/Soletrader on Multrees Walk for a couple of years about 2005/2006 and it was just round from Harvey Nics so we'd get players in there all the time. Remember Bednar and Pospisil coming in, Scott Brown, Riordan etc were in a lot, Claudio Canniggia was in, John Rowbotham the ref was in. 

 

... And I met a couple of lads in Rangers tracksuits in a hotel lift in Glasgow when I was through having a night out for my Mrs 18th or 21st whatever it was, turned out to be Beasley and Darcheville while they were on trial at Rangers.

 

I also work for a well known broadcaster lol, and travel down to the London office quite a bit. Their popular morning football show is filmed in the building next door to where I go, so I've popped round to watch that a few times and bumped into Jimmy Bullard, Peter Crouch, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher, and big Ginge James Collins.

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Batistuta87

[Jeff]

Liam Craig in Sportsters Falkirk. Can't comment as I was a drunken knob

 

Beat Jack Hamilton at a game of pool in the same establishment

 

[Stu_HMFC]

2 hours ago, Jamstomorrow said:

Before the current lock-down, I was in a socially distanced queue in front of Jamie Walker at Costa, Straiton.   He appeared to be with his wife and child.   He was in his training gear on this occasion too . . .  does he ever take it off?  Lol.

 

As a laddie, I had a pre-school milk round and used to deliver Eddie Thomson's milk.

 

 

Yeah he takes it off when he goes to Ibrox 🙃

Edited April 13, 2021 by Stu_HMFC

[ScottieMac17]

Iv met Bale in Harrods in London, he was behind me in the queue. Also bumped into Scott Parker and Lewis Holtby that same weekend.

 

Iv met Sir Paul on a few occasions and around Edinburgh and Glasgow. And Larry Kingston had friends at my grans church and turned up one Sunday. Met Suso Santana in princess mall, told him his goal against rangers was great but he needed to score against hibs... not long after he did...

 

My Dad and I also done work in Kevin Thomson's house.  Iv also met Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler. 

[Fort Vallance]

12 hours ago, Salad Fingers said:

Andy Goram standing outside the supermarket at Haven, Ayr. 

 

Seen him regularly at cricket. Always let's on.

[cheetah]

Tony Mowbray in a tree house in Alnwick garden.  🙉

 

Gordon Strachan at a James concert at Wembley arena

 

Ronaldinho at some airport on the way to a hearts European game, no memory of where or when.

[Absolute Scenes]

11 hours ago, jambopilms said:

Must be something about the Algarve. I saw John Terry and Steven Gerrard not together and Kris Boyd and Davie Weir together all on the same day at a theme park. Must have been around 2010/11

Haha exactly. We were in Quertimarina, beautiful place like so I don’t blame them. 

[Rogue Daddy]

Slightly off-topic (apologies), but probably my 'most famous sportsperson encounter' was in the mid-eighties when me and a mate (schoolboys at the time) travelled up to St Andrews for the very first 'Dunhill Cup'. It was the Saturday (day 2) and Spain had been beaten the day before (Seve & Manuel Pinero IIRC).

Anyhoo, after taking in some action, we were walking behind the St Andrews Hotel and there was a solitary figure, no-one else about, with a couple of clubs hitting a bucket of balls... none other that the the great man himself, Seve. We watched him for half an hour, in awe, and when he was finished he just strolled past and smiled - I couldn't speak but handed him my programme, and (thankfully) he signed it (the only one, in a group of around 50 people that had gathered by that time!) So I'm now (still) the proud owner of a programme from the very first Dunhill Cup, signed by Seve Ballasteros.